Trolley for monorail systems



P 1950 w. cs. WAMSLEY 2,522,654

TROLLEY FOR MONORAIL s s'rgms Filed Feb. 24, 1948 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 F/g.o

William G. Wams/ey INVEN TOR.

awn/puny 5% P 1950 w. G. WAMSLEY 2,522,654

TROLLEY FOR MONORAIL SYSTEMS Filed Feb. 24, 1948 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Fig. 3l7 5 28 W 0* W O .I '2 6 i t l 25 25 O 9 B I O 35 9 l5 l9 l5 l9 l7 /4 v20 20 Y t:

l \7 E: (LE; 8 William 6. Wams/ey .4; l0 INVENTOR.

Sept. 19, 1950 w. G. WAMSLEY TROLLEY FOR MONORAIL SYSTEMS 3 Sheets-Sheet3 Filed Feb. 24, 1948 William 6. Wams/aay INVENTOR.

Patented Sept. 19, 1950 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE '7 Claims.

The present invention relates to new and useful improvements in trolleysfor monorail systems and more particularly to the provision ofinterconnected guide rollers for travelling on the opposite side edgesof the rail.

An important object of the invention is to provide interconnected frontand rear guide rollers for maintaining the trolley head in a true courseon both straight and curved portions of the track.

A further object of the invention is to provide a trolley headconstruction whereby wear on the flanges of the track wheels as well ason the side edges of the rail is reduced and shimmying f the trolleyhead is practically eliminated.

A further object of the invention is to provide interconnected front andrear guide rollers at each side of the trolley head swingably mountedfor movement toward and away from the rail and further providingyieldable means connecting the rollers at the opposite sides of thetrolley head to each other for uniform movement and urging the rollersinwardly toward the rail together with adjustable stop means limitinginward movement of the rollers.

Another object of the invention is to provide a trolley headconstruction which is strong and durable, efficient and reliable inoperation, relatively inexpensive to manufacture and otherwise welladapted for the purposes for which the same is intended.

Other objects and advantages reside in the details of construction andoperation as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, referencebeing had to the accompanying drawings forming part hereof, wherein likenumerals refer to like parts throughout, and in which- Figure l is aside elevational view;

Figure 2 is a top plan view;

Figure 3 is an end elevational view;

Figure 4-. is a transverse sectional view taken substantially on a line4-6 of Figure 1;

Figure 5 is a vertical sectional view taken On a line 5-5 of Figure 3;

Figure 6 is a perspective view of one of the connectors for the frontand rear guide rollers;

Figure 7 is a group perspective view of one of the rockable guide rollermountings;

Figure 8 is a plan view showing the action of the guide rollers whentraveling along a curved track to reduce wear on the flange of the trackrollers, and

Figure 9 is a fragmentary sectional view of the connection for thevertical shaft of one of the rear guide rollers taken substantially on aline e s. of Figure '2.

Referring now to the drawings in detail, wherein for the purpose ofillustration 1 have disclosed a preferred embodiment of the inventionthe numeral 5 designates a trolley head generally which includes asubstantially U-shapedframe composed of a pair of vertically elongatedside plates 'l, a lower cross bar or brace 8 and an intermediate crossbar or brace 9 connected to the side plates by bolts or the like lil. Aneye bolt l is secured in a vertical position to the cross bars 8 and 9with the eye l2 thereof extending downwardly below the frame 5.

Reinforcing plates I3 are secured to the outer surfaces of the sideplates 1 at the upper portion thereof and the upper portion of the sideplates and reinforcing plates 13 having one end of shafts it supportedtherein which projects inwardly of the frame for rotatably supporting apair of track rollers l5 thereon travelling on the flanges it of aninverted T-shaped track H. The rollers l5 are formed with flanges l8engaging the opposite edges of the track.

The upper ends of side plates l are rolled to provide bearings It inwhich guide roller mountlugs 20 are rockably supported.

The guide roller mountings 20 are of L-shaped construction with theirhorizontal portions positioned longitudinally in the bearings l9 andtheir vertical portions 2| extending downwardly at one end of the head5.

A head 22 is threaded or otherwise suitably secured 0n the end of thehorizontal portion of the mounting 2D and in which the upper end of avertical shaft 23 is suitably secured and which extends downwardly fromthe mounting in spaced parallel relation with respect to the verticalend portion-2! of the mounting. A rear guide roller 24 is journalled onthe lower end of shaft 23 for travelling along the adjacent edge oftrack flange It. A front guide roller 25 is journalled on the lower endof the vertical portion 2! of the mount.- ing for likewise travellingalong the adjacent edge of track flange 16.

The shaft 23 above the roller 24 and the vertical end portion 2i ofmounting 20, above roller 25, are connected to each other by a longitudinally extending connecting bar 26 having eyes 21 at each end suitablysecured to the shaft 23 and vertical end portion 2| respectively. Stopscrews 28 are threaded in openings 29 in the connector 26 with theirinner ends bearing against the reinforcing plates [3 and secured inadjusted position by nuts 30.

Flat vertical extensions 3| are suitably secured to the lower ends ofthe vertical portion 2! of mounting 20 beneath the rollers 25 and inwhich a transverse rod 32 is slidably supported, each end of the rodhaving a coil spring 33 mounted thereon outwardly of the adjacentextension 3| and secured in position by a nut 34 and washer 35, one endof the spring bearing against the washer and the other end of the springbearing against the adjacent extension 3| as shown in Figure 3 of thedrawings.

The horizontal portion of roller mounting 20 ,is held againstlongitudinal sliding movement in bearings I 9 by a shoulder 36 on themounting bearing against one end of the bearing [9 while the head 22bears against the opposite end of bearing l9.

In the operation of the device the track rollers l are mounted to travelon the flange I6 of the track I! and the guide rollers 24 and 25 aresupported at the opposite side edges of flange l6 and are held slightlyspaced therefrom by the adjustment of stops 28 to limit the inwardrocking movement of the rollers by the mounting and bearings [9. Thecoil springs 33 On the ends of transverse rod 32 hold the rollers 24 andin- Wardly.

The guide rollers 24 and 25 have suflicient clearance with the trackflange [6 to eliminate wear when traveling on a straight track and theguide rollers .are held against movement by ad- J'ustable stops 28.

The track rollers 15 have slight end play on shafts l4 to reducefriction and wear on flanges I8 of the rollers and also to provideclearance for the flange l8 of track roller 15 at the inner edge of acurved track as shown in Figure 8.

This clearance is caused by the front and rear guide rollers 25 and 24bearing against the inner curved edge of the track which swings theguide rollers outwardly on mounting 20 against the tension of spring 33at the affected side of the trolley head and causing the trolley head toshift bodily slightly toward the inside of the curve to clear the insidetrack roller from the track.

In view of the foregoing description taken in conjunction with theaccompanying drawings it is believed that a clear understanding of theconstruction, operation and advantages of the device will be quiteapparent to those skilled in this art. A more detailed description isaccordingly deemed unnecessary.

It is to be understood, however, that even though there is herein shownand described a preferred embodiment of the invention the same issusceptible to certain changes fully comprehended by the spirit of theinvention as herein described and the scope of the appended claims.

Having described the invention, what claimed as new is:

1. A trolley head comprising frame, track rollers journalled on theframe for travelling on the flanges of an overhead track, interconnectedfront and rear pairs of inwardly and outwardly swingable guide rollersswingably suspended by the frame for travelling along the outer edges ofthe track flanges, individual adjustable stops for each pair of guiderollers limiting inward movement of the guide rollers, and spring meansholding the guide rollers inwardly toward the track.

2. A trolley head comprising a frame, track rollers journalled on theframe for travelling on the flanges of an overhead track, interconnectedfront and rear pairs of inwardly and outwardly swingable guide rollersswingably suspended by the frame for traveling along the outer edges ofthe track flanges, individual adjustable stops for each pair of guiderollers limiting inward movement of the guide rollers, and meansconnecting the guide rollers at opposite sides of the track to eachother for uniform swinging movement and including spring means holdingthe guide rollers inwardly.

3. A trolley head comprising a frame, track rollers journalled on theframe for traveling on the flanges of an overhead track, a rollermounting rockably carried by the frame at each side thereof andincluding downwardly extending end portions, front and rear inwardly andoutwardly swingable guide rollers journalled on said end portions of themounting for travelling along the outer edges of the track flanges,adjustable stops limiting inward movement of the guide rollers, andmeans connecting the mountings to each other for uniform swingingmovement of the guide rollers and including spring means urging therollers inwardly.

4. An overhead trolley unit comprising wheels journalled thereon fortravelling on an overhead track, said wheels having flanges positionedat the edges of the track, interconnected pairs of guide rollersjournalled on the trolley unit and positioned at the opposite edges ofthe track, and yieldable means holding the rollers inwardly at bothsides of the track to center the wheels on the track and also holdingthe rollers at either side of the unit in position to contact the insideof a curved track to relieve the wheel flanges of lateral pressure withthe track.

5. An overhead trolley unit comprising wheels journalled thereon fortravelling on an overhead track, said wheels having flanges positionedat the edges of the track, front and rear guide rollers journalled ateach side of the trolley unit and positioned at the opposite edges ofthe track, a swingable mounting for the rollers at each side of the unitfor uniform swinging movement toward or away from the track, stop meanslimiting inward movement of the rollers, spring means for each mountingand holding the rollers inwardly, and means connecting the spring meansto each other and tensionally equalizing the springs to center thewheels on the track when the rollers at one side of the unit contact theinside of a curved track.

6. An overhead trolley unit comprising wheels journalled thereon fortravelling on an overhead track, said wheels having flanges positionedat the edges of the track, front and rear guide rollers journalled ateach side of the trolley unit and positioned at the opposite edges ofthe track, stop means normall holding the guide rollers in substantiallyfrictionless rolling contact with the track when traveling over astraight section thereof, a swingable mounting for the rollers at eachside of the unit for uniform swinging movement toward or away from thetrack, and means connecting the mountings to each other and includingspring means holding the rollers inwardly, said rollers at either sideof the unit contacting the inside of a curved track to center the wheelson the track.

7. An overhead trolley unit comprising wheels journalled at the sides ofthe unit for travelling on an overhead track, said wheels having flangesat their outer sides positioned at the edges of the track, an inwardlyand outwardly swingable mounting supported b the unit at each sidethereof, front and rear horizontally rotatable guide rollers journalledon the mountings for traveling along the opposite edges of the tracls,

stop means between each mounting and unit limiting inward movement ofthe rollers, spring means carried by each mounting opposingoutwardmovement of the rollers atan adjacent side of the unit, andtensioned equalizing means connecting the springs at the opposite sidesof the unit to each other to center the wheels on the track. c

' WILLIAM G. WAMSLEY.

rumsmmons CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

Number r 927,994 1 ,o5a,4a1 F 11,558,779 ,Lavonas "2,318,354

19 Number 6 v UNITED STATES PATENTS Name Date Moore July 13, 1909Spelhing Apr. 8, 1913 Bennington Oct. 27, 1925 Kruckenberg et a1. Aug.9, 1932 Anjeskey May 4, 1943 FOREIGN PATENTS Country Date England July3, 1930

